Malta-+Maria+José+Montoya+10A



MALTA By: Maria José Montoya

Malta is a very small country that goes after the name of Republic of Malta. It is made up of an archipielago in the Mediterranean Sea.It is situated in the continent of Europe. This is a country full of culture, architecture, and beautiful landscapes in the middle of the Meditteranean Sea. Malta is one of the world's smallest states. Malta's location is strategically important world wide. It is mostly a tourist destination due to their rich history and present day culture.

** POPULATION ** **409,836 people (2012 est.)** **Explanation:** Malta's territory is formed by a group of islands, but there are three inhabited ones: Malta, Gozo, and Cominos. The tarritory is 316 square kilometers. Because of such limitation in territory, the population can not expand any further. Also, most of the population is concentrated in the main cities in charge of the countrie's economy. ** BIRTH RATE ** **10.31 births/1000 population** **Explanation:** This has a lot to do with beliefs. Since Malta is 98% Roman Catholic, they do not support the idea of birth control. Also, they wait more time than usual to have children.

** DEATH RATE **  **8.72 deaths/ 1000 population**   **Explanation:** Malta's death rate is one of the lowest mortality rates in EU. Just as Malta's birth rate, and infant mortality rate, this has to do with the well managed health services provided by the state. Also, Malta has a very low rate of crime and violence.

** DOUBLING TIME **  **194.98 years--> rounded to: 195 years**   **Explanation:** Malta's population growth rate is increadibly low, resulting in a very big amount of years for its population to double. .
 * NET MIGRATION RATE **
 * 2 migrants/ 1000 population ** **Explanation:** Most of the population is formed by ancient descendants of those who originally established at the islands. The population is made up mostly Italians and British who came during colonizations. The population is growing due to immigration, since many don't want to leave Malta, yet it is still small enough to have a small population growth rate. The country is very attractive to immigrants because of the well regulated government and job opportunities.
 * INFANT MORTALITY RATE **  **3.65 deaths/ 1000 lives**   **Explanation:** Malta has a public health system that contributes to keeping the life of many newborns. Malta is 98% Catholic, therefore, it is very rare that they practice abortions. And most of the deaths are natural.
 * POPULATION GROWTH RATE **  **0.359% (2012 est.)**   **Explanation:** Malta offers a great amount of job opportunities and the low rate of violence and crime. This makes up a secure place for living. There are several reasons why Malta's population growth rate is the way it is. First, migration is not very large, but the main reason its population is growing are immigrants. Yet it is not enought to make a great difference. Also, Malta's population is aging, meaning that its population is finally contracting.
 * LIFE EXPECTANCY **  **79.85 years**  ** Male: 77.57 years,Female: 82.26 years (2012 est.) **  **Explanation:** Malta's life expectancy rate has increased thanks to the advances in health services in the country. People are becoming more aware and attending to health resources more ofthen than before. Malta's health care is public but is charged in taxation. The country operates with public hospital and insurance provided by the State.
 * DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION MODEL **  Malta is in Stage 4 because of its aging population. It is a More Economically Developed Country.
 * POPULATION ISSUE **  Malta is consistently targetted by illegal immigration. This has strained many of its economic and political resources. There is also not a very large growth in the population, though, most of it comes from immigrants. Since the population of Malta is aging, the population is literally getting old. To the point where only less than 20% of the population is under the ages of 15. There are many people immigrating to Malta, but very few are emigrating. This creates an unease because the main cities are certainly getting overpopulated and the demand of resources is extending as the population grows.

**Resources ** [] [] [] http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120913/business-news/Financial-sustainability-of-Malta-s-health-system-major-challenge-.436759 http://gozonews.com/14194/maltas-death-rate-one-of-the-lowest-in-eu-at-7-8/ https://www.nche.gov.mt/page.aspx?pageid=93